Lightning Assign Goalie Helenius to Everblades

Estero, FL – The Florida Everblades announced Tuesday that the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have assigned goaltender Riku Helenius to the club from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.

Helenius, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Lightning, who selected him 15th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

“Riku is a big, quick goaltender with three-plus seasons of American League experience and even some time in the NHL, so we are really excited for him to join the team,” noted Everblades head coach Greg Poss. “Not only that, but we’ve been playing with one goaltender for so long that it will be nice to have a one-two punch in net.”

A 6-foot-3 native of Palkane, Finland, Helenius has a career AHL record of 33-39-0 with a 2.66 GAA and a .907 SV%. In one NHL appearance with the Lightning, the netminder stopped both shots he faced in relief on January 30, 2009, against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fellow goalie Trevor Cann has started the last nine contests in net for the Blades and Kristers Gudlevskis started the nine games prior to that before being called up to the Crunch.

On the ice, the Blades will open up 2014 on the road as they travel to Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Friday to take on the red-hot Greenville Road Warriors, who swept a pair of games last weekend from the Blades at Germain Arena, at 7:00pm.

Friday’s New Year lid-lifter will be broadcast live online at FloridaEverblades.com and on the Everblades’ app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, with a video webcast available through America ONE, the official broadband and mobile broadcaster of the ECHL, at www.americaonesports.com. Pregame coverage will get under way at 6:45pm.

Beat the Box Office!

Don’t want to pay the box office rate for Everblades tickets? You don’t have to! Save up to $7.00 per ticket with great 10 and 20-game flex plans and group rates for the remainder of the 2013-14 campaign. Lock in your flex plan or group seats now for the Blades’ next home game on January 10.

For more information call 239-948-7825, or stop by the Everblades main office located at Germain Arena.

Office hours are Monday – Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning.

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